Sharing medical information

In some circumstances, healthcare staff share information about your treatment and care to help us to improve the services we offer and the care we provide to everyone. The type of information shared, and how it is shared, is controlled by law and strict confidentiality rules. In order to plan and improve care for all patients it is important that we link information from the different places where you receive care to help us provide a full picture. This will let us compare the care received in one area to the care received in another, so we can see what worked best. Your postcode or NHS number, rather than your name, will be used to link your records in a secure system, so your identity is protected. Information which does not reveal your identity can then be used by others, such as researchers and those planning services, to make sure we provide the best care possible for everyone. We need to make sure that you know this is happening and the choices you have.

Please click the below links for more information

Leaflet about the Health & Social Care Information Centre

Frequently asked questions